Surgical procedures performed on a joint, such as an ankle, often require distraction or spreading of the joint to facilitate the insertion and manipulation of surgical implements in the joint. Conventional distractor apparatuses are attached to the limb in which the joint resides such that tension can be applied to the limb thereby spreading or decompressing the joint. The distractor apparatus may exert tension on the limb via a strap which is attached to both the distractor and the limb. For instance, where surgery is being performed on an ankle, the distractor apparatus is attached to a strap which is, in turn, attached to the foot and/or ankle. Tension may be applied to the leg and ankle with the distractor apparatus through the strap. Specifically, the tension is communicated to the limb through the strap thereby stretching the limb along its axis and expanding the joint.
Conventional strap designs have several drawbacks. For example, portions of the strap which extend around the heel of a patient may be formed to accommodate patients of various sizes. In these circumstances the distractor apparatus is utilized to take up excess slack in the distractor strap. However, because the strap contains excess material, a significant gap develops between the distal end of the limb and the distractor apparatus thereby hindering access to the joint of interest and increasing the difficulty of performing the surgical operation.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative distractor straps which facilitate improved access to the extremities of a distracted limb.